Travel has always inspired me. This blog is a chance for me to share the perspective that falling in love with foreign places, religions, and people has given me.

I wanted to spread joy, so I entertained. But my joke needed a punchline, and it was often myself or other people. And I felt nervous. I wanted to enlighten, so I informed. But the more I informed, the more I learned I didn’t know. And I felt nervous. I wanted to to get better,…

Originally posted on The Politics of Writing: Making headlines across the country, Rick Tyler, running for a congressional seat from the 3rd district of Tennessee, put up a billboard with the words “Make America White Again” to bring publicity to his campaign. In an interview he practically admitted it was to stir up controversy, but still…

“Ultimately evil is done not so much by evil people, but by good people who do not know themselves and who do not probe deeply.” ― Reinhold Niebuhr One thing I learned as I traveled and got close with people from other countries was that I had an ingrained sense of moral superiority as an…

You know, for me with Black Lives Matter, up until two nights ago it was kind of like an intellectual exercise for me. “OK, what are the arguments, which ones are logical, which ones are flawed, what arguments are justifiable, which ones aren’t.” And when I decided I supported the Black Lives Matter movement, it…

The parallels I see between the black community and the Muslim community continue, today in one of the saddest ways. Because late last night when I heard that multiple police had been shot at a black lives matter protest, I had the similar feeling of being punched in the gut as every time I hear…

There is no issue with calling terrorism radical Islam. The issue lies in the fact that many people, including our republican nominee, don’t know anything ABOUT radical Islam, so there is a risk that people who don’t know what they are talking about will say radical Islam and just hear “Islam.” This isn’t just an…

I wish I could somehow convey the beauty of Islam to people in the west. In a time of so much fear, I think back to what changed my feelings of fear about Islam into feelings of love. And I know what it was. It wasn’t falling in love with Abde, it honestly wasn’t, I…

My view on rich vs. poor: Neither rich nor poor people can be put in black and white boxes, most of them work hard, some of them try to get by with cheating and scheming. I personally have a lot more empathy for the poor person cheating for $400/month than I do for the rich…